Consultant to Develop Outsourcing Framework for UN Women

Background/Context:

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.

Within UN Women, The Division of Management and Administration (DMA) is accountable for the UN Strategic Plan (SP) implementation through effective and efficient management and administration services. This includes Financial Management, Operations, ICT, Security and Safety, Procurement, Facilities and Administration Services. The Division of Management and Administration (DMA) formulates, implements, and ensures compliance with, operational policies and procedures, including strengthening and streamlining standard business practices and mainstreaming gender equality in the UN System’s operations including through inputting into interagency operational coordination mechanisms and the ongoing UN-Reform.

The consultant will report to the Deputy Director- Operations, DMA and work closely with Procurement, Human Resources, Finance, Information Systems and Telecommunications, and Program teams.

Description of Responsibilities/Scope of Work

The objective of this consultancy is to develop a structured Third-Party Outsourcing Framework for UN Women, covering key principles, governance mechanisms, risk management approaches, and implementation guidelines to facilitate strategic third-party outsourcing decisions.

The consultant will be responsible for the following tasks:

Assessment & Benchmarking:

• Review UN policies, procedures, and best practices on outsourcing.

• Conduct a benchmarking analysis of outsourcing frameworks from relevant UN agencies and international organizations.

Stakeholder Consultations:

• Engage with key UN Women stakeholders, including Procurement, Human Resources, Finance, Information Systems and Telecommunications (IST), program teams, ERM and Budget teams to understand third-party outsourcing needs and challenges.

• Incorporate feedback into the framework development process.

Framework Development:

• Define third-party outsourcing principles, including criteria for third-party outsourcing decisions.

• Establish governance structures, roles, and responsibilities with a structured and efficient approach in managing third-party outsourcing and minimizing risks

• Develop risk management and compliance mechanisms including a detailed risk management plan that outlines potential risks, mitigation strategies, and contingency plans, that would help in proactively addressing any challenges that may arise during the implementation of the outsourcing framework.

• Provide clear operational guidelines and implementation steps.

• Ensure alignment with UN Women’s strategic objectives and regulatory requirements.

Validation & Finalization:

• Present a draft framework for review and feedback.

• Incorporate stakeholder inputs and finalize the framework.

• Develop a high-level implementation roadmap.

Deliverables

• Inception Report detailing methodology, work plan, and key milestones.

• Benchmarking & Assessment Report summarizing key findings from UN policies and international best practices.

• Draft Outsourcing Framework for stakeholder review.

• Final Outsourcing Framework, incorporating feedback and including an implementation roadmap.

• Presentation to UN Women Leadership summarizing key elements and recommendations.

Duration & Location

The consultancy will be conducted over Five (5 months). The consultant will work remotely, with possible in-person engagements at UN Women HQ or regional offices, if required.

Competencies :

Core Values:

• Integrity;
• Professionalism;
• Respect for Diversity.

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues;
• Accountability;
• Creative Problem Solving;
• Effective Communication;
• Inclusive Collaboration;
• Stakeholder Engagement;
• Leading by Example.

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Values and Competencies Framework:

Functional Competencies:

• Strong knowledge of UN procurement and financial regulations.

• Excellent research, analytical, and stakeholder engagement skills.

Education and Certification:

• Advanced degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Procurement, Finance, or a related field is required.

• A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience

• At least 7-10 years of experience in procurement, outsourcing, strategic operations, or policy development is required.

• Experience developing outsourcing frameworks, policies, or governance models in UN agencies, international organizations, or the public sector is required.

Languages:

• Fluency in English is required.
• Knowledge of any other UN official language is an asset.
  

Interested candidates should also attach:

• Technical proposal outlining approach, methodology, and work plan.

• Financial proposal detailing consultancy fees.

• Work samples demonstrating experience in similar projects

Statements :

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.

Diversity and inclusion:

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.)

Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed. If all sections are not completed the application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process.